Category: Outdoor

Frisbee Noodle

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Grade level: 5-8
Equipment: Cones, Noodles (or hula hoops), Frisbees (or footballs)
Game Description: This is a throwing accuracy game to work on frisbee tosses. First, divide the class into groups of three. Each player must stand by one of the cones that should have already been distributed on the ground in a set of 3 (this activity is best played outside for space reasons but can be played inside if needed). The player on the far left of the field will have a disc while the middle player must have ONE noodle. Noodle person must bend their noodle to form a circle/oval/loop. Person on the far right has the job of retrieving the disc and running to the throwing cone.

How it works:
1) The thrower will throw the frisbee in a attempt to get it to travel through the noodle that the player in the middle has made. The Noodle person is allowed one step to their right or left to get the disc to travel through. If the disc travels through, they get 1 point for their team. The retriever will get the disc and run as fast as they can down to the throwing cone. At this point, every player shifts up one cone so that they are now playing a different position. Each teams counts their points out loud so that everyone knows how many point that they have.
2) The first team to get to 10 points wins (This can be changed at the discretion off the teacher).
3) The object is to work on accuracy with the throws to ensure that the disc remains level and flat while being thrown (a prerequisite would be to have worked on back hand throws first).
4) The teacher can incorporate different throws into it in order to increase difficulty with the activity.

(Thanks to Brian Burn)

Steal The Ball

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Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: Type of Ball (Soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc. The more the better), hula-hoops
Game Description: Start by placing a whole bunch of balls in the center area, equally spaced between anywhere from 4-8 teams. At each team area, place a hula hoop for the balls to be placed after they are taken from the middle area. On the go signal, players from each team go one at a time to the middle, dribble the ball back to their hoop and tags the next person to go. The object is to take as many balls until all are gone from the middle. When all the balls are gone from the middle, then take one ball from any of the other teams. After a designated time limit count to see which team has the most!
For soccer, the balls are to be dribbled along the ground.
For volleyball, the balls are to be “set” or “volleyed” to self all the way back to the hoop.
For basketball, dribbling.
For football/baseball, the balls can be thrown from the middle back to partner at hoop.
AS ALWAYS, HAVE FUN (WHILE PRACTICING SKILLS)!

Rock Paper Scissors War

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Grade level: 2-6
Equipment: Cones
Game Description: Rock Paper Scissors War gets you moving (and playing some R.P.S. in some fun competition). In this game, players in teams of 4 or 5 face each other at opposite ends of a gym or playing area (ex. blue vs yellow). In front of each teams’ line about a metre out is a cone to mark where a point is scored. On the “GO” signal or whistle, the first person in each line will run towards each other until they meet – they play R.P.S. (HINT: if they play with their sides turned towards their teammates, then they’ll be able to see and react more quickly). The loser of R.P.S. (ex. yellow) returns to the back of their line, while the winner (blue) continues running towards the opposition (yellow) cone. By now the next person in the yellow team should be running towards the blue player advancing towards their cone. Wherever they meet they play R.P.S… the winner continues, the loser goes to the back of their line and hopefully the next in line has reacted and is running out to meet the advancing player, etc, etc, continue, continue. Try it out and have some fun! Play for certain time, or up to a certain amount of points. (Thanks to Pete Anderson)

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Champs

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Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: The goal of rock, paper, scissors champs is to try to win as many games of rock, paper, scissors in a row as you can – and in doing so you will build the longest line of players. At the start of the game, all players are alone and spread out in the playing area. All players can tag others, as well all players can get tagged. When a player is tagged, he must play rock paper scissors against the person who tagged him. Whoever wins becomes the LEADER, and the other player must go directly behind him and follow him throughout the rest of the game. Of course, this is happening all over the place at the same time. So there are many LEADERS. Now when groups of 2,3,4,5,etc come up against other groups or single players and get tagged, the group LEADER must play rock paper scissors against the player or group that tagged her. The losing side must follow behind the winning side (therefore the lines get bigger and bigger the more successful you are until there’s just 1 huge line at the end). Great warm-up game for some quick movement and fun. Also great for large groups.

Yard Ball

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Grade level: 4-8
Equipment: Cones/tees, plastic bats, foam balls, mats/bases
Game Description: This game is a mini-baseball type game that can be played in the gym or outdoors to help develop baseball/softball/fielding/striking skills. Smaller teams are created in a broken-down mini game that resembles actual baseball, but with smaller groups getting more reps and practice/skill development. With a few modifications to the regular game of baseball, this game is an effective lead up or fun small style game to try out to get the heart rates up! (Thanks to Zach Overturf for this idea)

Secret Agent Tag

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Grade level: 2-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: The ‘Bad guys’ are the taggers. The ‘Secret Agents’ are the freers. The rest of the players (the runners) are the ‘Citizens’. Before the game starts, ALL players sit down, close their eyes, and put their heads down so they can’t see anything. Then the teacher goes around and taps 2-3 players ONCE on the head – those players will be the Bad guys. The teacher also goes around and taps 2-3 players TWICE on the head – those players will be the Secret Agents. After that, give all players 5 seconds to find a spot anywhere in the playing area and blow the whistle to start the game! When a player is tagged by a Bad guy he must sit down. He’s stuck down until a freer (Secret Agent) taps him on the shoulder, then he can get back up and continue playing. Careful though, because the Secret Agents can also be tagged! If the Secret Agents all end up being tagged and are sitting, then the round is over. Choose new roles and play again! (Thanks to Jeff Harrison for the idea)

Snowflakes

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Grade level: K-4
Equipment: None
Game Description: In this tag game, players who are tagged turn into a snowflake by standing in the shape of a star. The sun will go around melting the snowflakes so they can get back into the game.

Army & Navy

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Grade Level: 2-8
Equipment: None
Game Description: This fitness or warm-up/running game is a calling game. The caller (usually the teacher) calls out these commands:

Army: Run to one side of the gym
Navy: Run to the other side of the gym
Hit the deck: Lie face down
At ease: Stand up

Try adding some rules such as “first one to Army gets a point” or “last one to Navy is out”. Players must be careful to wait for the “At Ease” command before getting up to run somewhere. Or add your own ideas to modify this quick physical education game to suit your needs. (Thanks to Justin for this game idea)